I also made myself a bowler hat. I just got a small party sized hat from Amazon (you could probably get them in bulk around this time of year) and added some rhinestones all over it:

Now, the original design had the dress with black felt question marks all over it. But I have to admit, glittery just seems so…me. And of course, my nails had to coordinate:

I really loved how everything came out! I also have a new respect for those cosplayers that actually do stitching and things. Just painting those question marks took absolutely forever, and taking the sleeves off the blouse I had on underneath the dress took another hour. That’s why I am already planning next year’s costumes. And next year? There WILL be Lady Joker.

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I took pictures of damn near any/everything that moved at NYCC (with permission, of course.) And let me tell you, it took everything in me to cut down the pics I put in this post because it was well over 150 photos.

I’ll do my best to provide context and names of the characters listed. Ready? Let’s go!

A beautiful Harley Quinn.

I love the vibe this whole group gave off. My favorite would be the side-burned Joker there. Other characters include Batgirl, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Riddler, and Aquaman.

Rita Replulsa and Lord Zedd. Brought me right back to elementary school, coming home to watch Power Rangers!

Scarecrow, Batman (who is 75 years young this year–the character, that is) and Robin. Robin was quite the handsome guy in person, let me say. 🙂

Sailor Moon and the Crew (totally NOT what they’re called, btw. 😀 ) There were quite a few Sailor themed cosplays, including a group of guys. The guys had a Tuxedo Mask included in their group (and yes, it was a woman.) So cute!

A very dapper Penguin.

Marvin the Martian brings you peace, man.

So, the Captain America at the top of the pyramid is holding what looks like a classic Super Nintendo game. In fact, it’s a flask. How fancy is that?

I was on my way to pick up my things from coat check, and saw these two on the way there. How spectacular is this Jareth and Sarah cosplay?

I actually interrupted the conversation I was having when I saw this crew come in. “OMG, is that Lego Iron Man?! I need a picture!” *zoom* Don’t worry, the person I was talking to was as excited as I was!

Predator!

This is Phoenix Wright. He’s a lawyer whose fighting tactics include throwing paper work and gavels (seriously!) I should note the cosplayer shouted “Objection!” as he posed, which made C and I crack up.

Oh, and the word “Objection!” will come up in the video game when he does that move. Here’s a video that shows it (you want to look about 58 seconds in):

Memes also made their way into NYCC. Here are my two favorites (with memes right next to them):

When I first took a pic of this guy, he ended up having to answer the phone in the middle of my shot. When he hung up his call, he graciously posed with the sign for me. I say he did a pretty good job!

C and I saw this guy and immediately cracked up! Annoyed Picard is one of my favorite memes.

And finally, here’s the shot that C says perfectly captures the spirit of NYCC:

I actually got to NYCC earlier than C and my nephew on Sunday, so I decided to meet up with a friend of mine I hadn’t seen since college. As he and I tried to figure out where the other was, Doc Oct there came walking past me. As I stopped him to snap a photo, I notice he’s looking behind me. Confused, I turn around. Who do I see?

Spider Man.

Doc: “Spider Man! I thought I killed you!”

Spidey: “Doc, you can NEVER kill me!”

And they jumped into the pose you see here.

Me: “OMG I NEED A PICTURE OF THIS!!”

And here it is. Two complete strangers hamming it up for people’s cameras and entertainment. They shook hands as they parted ways.

Man, NYCC is like nothing else. If you ever have a chance to come and experience it yourself, please do! You won’t regret it.

Tomorrow: the unveiling of my cosplay. See you then!

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Usually, I can’t be bothered with putting a lot of makeup on. Even though I do makeup and sell skincare for a living, most of the time you’ll see me in tinted moisturizer, eyebrows, eyeliner, and mascara if I’m feeling fancy. That’s it.

But not for NYCC. No, no, I have to show off for that!

Each day saw a new look (of course!) Let’s get to it!

Day One: Meow!

All eye shadows are Urban Decay (combination of the Electric and Rollergirl palettes), and lipstick is MAC’s Girl About Town. I was so happy to get there after a particularly rough morning. But once I was there? Happy place unlocked!

Day Two: Green Lantern Realness

I definitely got in late and didn’t get much sleep the night before. 😀 NYCC will do that to you. Again, all shadows are Urban Decay (Electric and a older palette I don’t remember the name to…it’s discontinued. 😦 ), and lippy is MAC’s Heroine. I was on my way to Artist’s Alley in this shot. There, you can get custom art and prints from all of these different talented artists. Don’t worry, there will be a swag round-up post. 🙂

Day 3: Riddle Me That

Definitely the most makeup heavy day, but was well worth it. I have on all Urban decay again (combo of Electric and Vice 2), and L’Oreal lippy in Orange Tempo. It comes out that glossy, by the way. It’s the Colour Riche Extraordinaire. Bonus shot of me and my friend C:

I’m pretty sad none of the pics I took that day show I had on orange, green, and purple eye shadows. But that’s ok. The lippy more than makes up for it!

Day Four: Sweet And Simple

For the final day, I threw on a Wonder Woman tee and my Clark Kents (glasses, lol!). I was there to take pics and enjoy the day with my nephew, so there was no need to get super dressy. Shadows (all neutral) are Stila, lippy is from Malin+Goetz that I got in my Glossybox a month or so ago. It tastes all minty and yummy. Also: uber glossy, and glossy things make me happy.

Tomorrow’s post is all about some of the awesome costumes I saw. You’ll get my costume Friday, and a bonus Saturday post will cover all of the swag!

See you then!

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So, I needed some time to recover from NYCC. I had SO much fun! There are like, a million pics I’m gonna share with y’all this week, but the organizer in me says I have to make it make some sense. So, since I normally do nail posts on Tuesdays, here’s a round up of all three looks I did.

Let’s get started!

Days One and Two: Gilded Fishnet

Thursday I did a Catwoman themed outfit (tee, cat ears, leather skirt, leggings, and boots.) Friday it was Green Lantern (tee, leggings, denim shorts, sneakers). I thought the gold and black would be perfect to compliment those two themes. Random aside: if you have a good dollar store by you (Jack’s is the best here in NYC), you can find some good stuff. Those nail decals above? Sally Hansen, and I paid $1.99 instead of $11.99. Winning!

Day Three: Riddle Me This

So, my showpiece costume on Saturday was the Riddler, and I thought it would be fun to play with texture. These nail stickers are from L’Oreal and they…were not the best. 😦 By the end of the day I was picking them off of my nails. But they looked great for a couple of hours. You’ll get shots of the costume later this week. Considering how close to the wire I cut it, it turned out pretty good!

Day Four: A Little Captain In Me

The name to this manicure comes from my friend C, who asked that when she saw my fingers Sunday morning. 😀 Now, of course this is my favorite because blue, but it turned out better than I thought. The blue is Revlon’s Wild Card. After a day of work, I’ve knocked half of the rhinestones off. It was fabulous while it lasted!

Now, I’m off to edit some pics. Tomorrow’s post will be all about the makeup I sported. See you then!

So tonight, when I get home from work, I am going to make sure I stock my bag with things I need to make it through NYCC unscathed. So, here are the dos and donts of NYCC:

1. Read this. If you think this is unfair or unnecessary, stay home. Don’t want to click? Here’s the short version of what’s at the link: don’t be an ass.

2. Bring water. Its $6 a bottle there. For the little bottle. Bring your own and refill at the water fountains.

3. Bring snacks. Pretzels are $4.50, and they aren’t the good kind. I keep bananas and such in my bag, and have a good breakfast before heading out.

4. Go to your bank’s ATM before getting to Javits. They do have ATMs there at the venue, but they pop you with a $3- $4 surcharge. Add on your bank’s fees, and it gets pretty steep. While we’re on the subject of money:

5. Make a budget. Particularly if you’re doing multiple days. There’s so many things and you want all of the things and the art and the books and and…you’re gonna be broke in an hour if you don’t budget. Seriously.

6. Make a plan for everything you want to see. There’s an app for that, and its really helpful for managing time. Running about all willy nilly will insure you won’t see everything. Honestly, I don’t think one CAN see everything, but there’s nothing wrong with trying.

7. Bring a charger or a backup battery. You will take pictures and video, you’re Instagramming and Facebooking and your phone will die. Now, there are plugs and charging stations, but please know you won’t be the only one caught out there with -5% battery trying to recharge. I have a quick charger like this that will fit right into my bag.

8. Wear comfortable shoes. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. I saw so many cosplayers (both men and women) who bought shoes to fit the costume but not optimal for walking about all day. There were quite a few barefoot Catwomen by the time I left one day. I’m doing combat boots, loafers, and sneakers. Semi-flat, plenty of cushion, and they match my outfits perfectly.

9. Make sure you pack your ticket. Don’t leave it at home and think they’ll let you in. Yes, I saw this happen. And no, they won’t let you in anyway.

10. Have fun! My experience last year showed that people were wonderful and friendly, and all people I asked for a picture willingly allowed me to do so. (But for the love of fluffy kittens ASK FIRST! It’s rude not to!) It’s an experience like no other that I’ve had, and I enjoyed it so much last year I added two more days onto my fun this year.

Tomorrow starts my first day of NYCC, and I am so ready! Please feel free to follow me on Twitter (@fashion_amateur) and Instagram (@evolvingfatshionista) to see things as I experience them.

See you tomorrow!

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So today marks my official countdown to New York Comic Con (NYCC). In two days, I’ll be a part of a huge gathering of fellow nerds, comic enthusiasts, cosplayers, and more. Four days of amazing makeup, costumes, comics, and panels await me. I’m almost ready for it all, but…

I decided to change my showpiece costume on Saturday.

See, I have a habit of doing this. For Full Figured Fashion Week earlier this year, I spent the entire day altering a jumpsuit and making a jacket to wear to a fashion show. Then, at the last minute, I decided to wear something else.

I don’t know why I do this to myself, I really don’t.

Saturday, as it poured a doggone zoo outside my window, I decided that maybe I didn’t really want to do Lady Joker. I mean, I’d sourced almost every piece except the vest. No, I don’t need a vest (I’ve seen some cosplayers go without), but I really, REALLY wanted one.

I wanted it to the point where I combed the far corners of the Internet to find one. Nothing. Then I wanted some other odds and ends to add on–pocket watches and such. Couldn’t find that for a decent price. I started to get frustrated.I tried everything on. Maybe I could cut a couple of elements out. I went back and forth to my sketches, and I realized something.

If I couldn’t match that picture, I don’t want to do it. I hate that I’m like that, but I had a vision that I just couldn’t bring about this year. That’s why you won’t get to see the sketch, either. I want it to be a surprise!

So, I have every other outfit planned out, pieces sourced, but Saturday’s costume, my showpiece? Gone.

And then I got an idea and spent another 5 hours sourcing pieces for it. Hopefully they’ll be at my house when I get home from work so I can start.

All of this to say: don’t be me, folks. If you’re doing NYCC this year, and you’re dressing, you’re laughing at me right now for waiting till the last minute to change my costume.If it’s your first year and you’re still planning: solidarity high five! But don’t do this again. Have your stuff ready so you can, like, sleep the night before your first day. Luckily, I don’t plan on wearing this costume till Saturday (and both Thursday and Friday’s outfits are completely done) so I can work on it after I get home those nights. But I hate to rush. I like to tweak here and there, and now I really don’t have the wiggle room for that.

So now, if you follow me on Twitter, you understand a bit about my mini rant I went on Saturday. 😀

For the rest of this week: it will be filled with my NYCC preparations, and I’ll be sharing my crafty bits along the way. Hopefully, I can get y’all an early start on Halloween.

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I was doing some online shopping, trying to relax, and remembered that, yet again, I haven’t really put anything for New York Comic Con (NYCC) together yet.

It’s in October, folks. I have no clue what I’m waiting on.

Since current events are overwhelming my circuits right now, I’m channeling some of this nervous energy into what I intend to wear for the 4 days I’m attending.

But first: storytime.

So, last Thursday I had the luck of having the day off from work. Oddly enough, this so happened to be the same time that NYCC tickets went on sale in downtown Manhattan.

Let’s pause a second.

Last year, when I wanted tickets, I walked into Forbidden Planet, purchased my tickets, and left. Time it took: about 10 minutes.

This year, I got up early, so I could be at Midtown Comics when it opened to purchase tickets. Time it took: about 9 1/2 hours.

Yes. You read that properly. 9 1/2 hours. And I got there way later than quite a few people. The first person to get his ticket had been camped out since 5am that WEDNESDAY.

Holy mackerel.

Now, despite the 4 block long line (!!!!!), I figured it wouldn’t take too long. I got there about 8am, perhaps 8:10. I fully expected to be in line about 4 hours or so. I mean, you go in, you get tickets, you leave. Not difficult, right?

This would be where we learned that people were only going in 10 at a time.

10. At. A. TIME! With a line that snaked through downtown.

I heaved a sigh. Ok then. I had myself a good breakfast, I had sunscreen and water, the iPad was charged (as was the iPod), phone was at the ready. I had time to take this selfie:

So, I had myself covered, right? I didn’t think the wait was bad until about 4 hours in and we’d only moved maybe a 1 1/2 blocks. At this point we hear a small commotion at the end of the line–they capped the line. Now we’re worried: will there be tickets? Don’t worry, attendants in the line assured us. There will be tickets for all of you. Well, yes, but which ones are still available?

No one knew. Whoa.

So, I yank out my phone and get on Twitter. Some folks around me mumbled that perhaps they’d try to get the coveted 3 day tickets on Friday instead.

Then I see the tweet: all the other Midtown locations will not be getting those. Apparently they funneled them to this store. I make this announcement, and shortly thereafter, one of the attendants confirm. Sighs are heaved, and we turn back around to wait. We shuffle an inch, and then I see another tweet:

3 day tickets are sold out. I announce this as well. People look to the attendant for confirmation.

Yep.

Well, damn.

Now people are moving along, because they wanted 3 day tickets, and they figure if the three day tickets are gone, the 4 day will be soon, too. That’s what I wanted, so I figured I’d stand in line till I hear otherwise.

About 4 hours later, I’m rounding the last corner to take me to the doors. I hear attendants say: 4 day tickets are left! Don’t worry. Folks are passing round extra water, going on 7-11 runs, ordering pizza (seriously). I finally make it to the top, and leave with my prize. And I realize the time: 5:33pm.(My phone is done on juice at this point.) Basically, that’s a whole shift for me. Good heavens.

I tell my fellow geeks good bye and go get a pedicure and a foot massage. I needed it. 🙂

And here I am! Still stunned I got tickets, amazed I waited that long (I will NOT be doing that foolishness next year!), and stuck on what to wear. Maybe this on Thursday, at least:

How cute is this, right? Get it here, if you love it too. I’d pair this with a denim vest and some sneakers for comfort. Thursday is my shopping and panel day, so I want to be cute and comfy. I spoke about one of the costumes I wanted to do before, but I may put that on hold for…